Task force makes prudent recommendation on dyslexia ID

The estimated prevalence of people with some form of dyslexia is between 5 percent and 10 percent of the population, according to the National Institutes of Health. Other sources say the number could be as high as 20 percent. That's a significant number of people.

The state of Missouri is requiring by law children in public schools are tested for it.

Dyslexia, essentially, is a reading disability, a decoding issue. It is not a reflection of a person's intelligence, but comprehension of text and spelling can be affected because dyslexics have difficulty with speed and accuracy of decoding words and language.

So it makes sense children be tested for dyslexia at an early age so it can be addressed.

Last week, a statewide task force issued recommendations for implementing a 2016 law that requires schools to screen students.

Reporter Mark Bliss wrote that the task force said students in kindergarten through third grade, as well as transfer students, should be screened. Kindergartners should be screened no later than Jan. 31 each year; screenings appear to work best when students are at least 5 1/2 years old. The task force is chaired by state Rep. Kathy Swan of Cape Girardeau.

The task force also wants districts to provide "classroom support for students" and offer two hours of in-service training for teachers annually.

Swan said it is important to identify students with dyslexia by third grade. If students are unable to read properly by that grade, they will fall behind in school, she said.

As reading and communicating are fundamental issues relating to a person's education, identifying dyslexia at an early age seems important. There are a lot of details to be worked out, but simply having a diagnosis and training for teachers to understand dyslexia and how to teach to students who have it will reap huge benefits for the thousands of dyslexic children who are working their way through Missouri public schools.